Riyadh Airport Attack Kills 12, Injures 309 As Saudi-Houthi Strikes Escalate

An attack targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday killed 12 people and injured 309, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said.

The incident came as Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels exchanged strikes on major airports and strategic locations.

The fatalities included four Saudi citizens and eight foreign nationals, including two Bangladeshis and citizens of the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Authorities temporarily suspended airport operations to assess damage and conduct safety checks.

The Houthis threatened reciprocal measures but called for airports, seaports and humanitarian facilities to remain outside the conflict.

Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported fresh Saudi air and missile strikes targeting Sanaa International Airport, areas near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait and several northern Yemeni provinces.

Yemen’s government forces claimed that more than 1,150 Houthi fighters had been neutralised and over 180 military vehicles destroyed or damaged in more than 1,900 strikes within 24 hours. These figures could not be independently verified.

Fighting has intensified around Taiz, where Houthi advances have put government forces under pressure and disrupted key roads.

Backed by Saudi airstrikes, government forces launched an offensive on Monday to recapture Houthi-held territory.

The conflict began in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen.

A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to support the internationally recognised government.

The latest escalation follows a UN-brokered truce in 2022 that largely halted major hostilities.

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